


The Bet

by profoundfangirl



Category: Supernatural RPF
Genre: Cockles Week, M/M, fic prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-26
Updated: 2015-05-26
Packaged: 2018-04-01 08:25:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,388
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4012639
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/profoundfangirl/pseuds/profoundfangirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt: Knowing Misha can never really be serious, but that he can never back down from a challenge either, Jensen challenges Misha to finally give a real, serious interview for once. And then when Misha does, he’s honestly kind of stunned and horrified to learn just how difficult some of Misha’s life really was. It makes him see Misha in a new light, makes him appreciate Misha even more. - Anon</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Bet

**Author's Note:**

> A filled prompt for [Cockles Week](http://cockles-week.tumblr.com/) on Tumblr.
> 
> This fic is set in 2010, during filming for season five. Misha hasn't been around very long, but it's now obvious he isn't leaving like they originally thought he would. Jensen is curious to get to know his co-star a little better.
> 
> Written without a beta. I will fix mistakes if you point them out. Thanks!

It was early January, and Jensen was returning to Vancouver to continue working on season five of Supernatural. It was kind of amazing that they had made it to a fifth season. Sometimes he couldn’t believe his luck. Actually starring in a television show, especially one on a smaller network, that had become so popular. Other times, he wondered why they had to shoot in the middle of the winter. In Canada.

Of course, those complaints were minimal. The production team did what they could to make everyone comfortable on outdoor shooting days. They were a close knit group of people and Jensen had actually missed them over the holiday break. Being on set again felt like being at his second home. He walked over to his trailer, waving to the stunt crew as they drove by in a golf cart. He pulled open the door to find his trailer was already occupied.

“Cover my six!” Jared shouted, over a hail of gunfire.

“If I knew which one you were, I would cover your six!” Misha shouted back, arms flailing to tilt the controller in his hands from side to side, as if that would actually help the movements of the character on the screen. Misha played video games like an uncoordinated monkey.

Jensen took in the scene before him. Jared and Misha engrossed in a military themed video game, bullets and explosions going off on the large television screen. The coffee table was covered with open bags of potato chips and empty beer bottles.

“I know I have the better tv, but really guys? Did you clean out my entire refrigerator? Bunch of freeloaders. Coming in here and drinking my good beer,” Jensen grumbled.

The screen lit up with a massive explosion, that ended whatever match they both were playing. Jared and Misha groaned, lowering their controllers, now able to give Jensen their full attention.

“Screw you Ackles,” Jared said jokingly, “That beer was left in there from before Halloween. We were probably doing you a favor.”

Misha nodded solemnly. “It might actually be fatal. We were helping by getting rid of it for you. And when we have to be taken to the hospital later, to have our stomachs pumped, we will cry out ‘We saved our friend Jensen!’ with our dying breaths.”

Misha and Jared were looking at him, both trying not to crack up themselves, but to get Jensen to crack first. Jensen knew he was in real trouble when the pair of them were on the same side. Misha had not been on set very long, but had already proven he had a competitive side. When he paired up with Jared, the biggest prankster on set, it could be disaster for everyone. Jensen decided to change the subject and save himself the pain.

“So what did you do over Christmas break Misha?”

Misha grinned, and Jensen could see he was still counting that as a win.

“Oh not much,” Misha said, reclining back into the couch in a pose that was way too relaxed to be genuine, “I tried vacationing at a nude beach, but it became a real problem when everyone there attempted to idolize me as their new Adonis. They all wanted pictures and to have me pose for statues. And, as you know, dragging marble onto a beach can be so cumbersome.”

Misha smiled at them expectantly. Of course they all knew he was full of shit, but this was Misha. It was all part of his persona. He didn’t give straightforward answers. Jensen assumed there was a kernel of truth in what he said, but it was difficult knowing which kernel that was.

Jared finally cracked, howling in laughter, and clapping Misha hard on the back. “Man, where do you come up with this stuff? Do you practice it in the mirror at night?”

“It’s just my natural gift,” Misha smiled.

“Yeah, but could you fight your natural instincts? If you had to?” Jensen asked.

“I’m sure I could,” Misha shrugged, “I am an actor after all.”

“I don’t mean acting. I mean letting people see the real you,” Jensen commented.

“I let people see the real me, and they tried to build altars to my beauty.”

Jensen shook his head, laughing softly. He didn’t know why he was pushing this so hard all of a sudden, but Jensen knew he could challenge Misha and he wouldn’t back down.

“Come on Collins, you are always acting. I bet you couldn’t even give one interview where you were being completely serious.”

“Oh yeah?,” Misha grinned, “How much?”

“What?”

“How much would you bet Jen?”

Jensen knew he was in trouble if Misha was pushing his buttons by calling him by his nickname. He saw the glint and Misha’s eyes and thought _Oh, it’s on_. He threw back a cocky smile of his own.

“Alright, during your next interview, when you can’t help but give in to the temptation to be your sarcastic, oddball, alter-ego, you will have to bring me coffee for a week instead of the PA’s. In a maid’s outfit.”

“And if I win?”

“I don’t know man,” Jensen paused, waiting for inspiration to strike. He ended up blurting out the first thing that came to mind.

“If you win, I’ll kiss you. In front of the whole crew.”

Jared scoffed, but thankfully said nothing, waiting to see how the exchange played out. Misha blinked at Jensen, and the smile slowly spread even wider across his face.

“Deal.”

~*~

It wasn’t long before Misha was asked to give another interview. The press was eager to know more about him, since it had become apparent that he was sticking around and not just a guest actor on the show. And with their 100th episode airing soon, press about the show was picking up more than ever. Each actor had been contacted multiple times to comment on their landmark episode.

This time it was Misha’s turn. He had been asked to give a video interview for E!News that would air on television and their website simultaneously. They wanted to boost their ratings, so they had Tweeted about having Misha on their show. During one of the shooting breaks back in Vancouver, Jensen saw several crew members gathered around a side table. Jensen got closer to see they were already part way into Misha’s interview. The crew shuffled aside to make room for him to see.

It was a regular studio set. Two large chairs facing each other, with the E! logo in the background. Misha was in nice jeans with a button down shirt and a jacket, seated across from the pretty brunette host. He looked relaxed and smiled as she asked her next question.

“Misha, you have become a pretty popular member of the Supernatural family. You’ve gained several thousand followers on Twitter already. You recently requested that your ‘minions’, as you call them, help you fundraise for the earthquake in Haiti. You raised $30,000 in just a few hours. How did you know your followers would be willing to do that?”

Jensen saw a light pass through Misha’s eyes on his close-up. Here we go, Jensen thought. He could see Misha deciding to himself whether he was going to make a joke about the fans idolizing him as their god and giving their ‘pagan wealth as a show of sacrifice’ (or some nonsense) or if he was going to be honest.

“Well, I saw how enthusiastic the fans of the show are. When I went to my first convention, I could feel the creative energy they have. They are so dedicated, that I wanted to see where they could go with something like this. They exceeded my expectations. It’s amazing, ” Misha smiled softly. 

Jensen let out a small puff of air he hadn’t realized he’d been holding in. Misha was really going for it – complete honesty.

The interviewer was nodding at Misha. “There are so many celebrities who just throw their own money at a social issue? Isn’t that what you could have done?” she asked.

“I could, but it wouldn’t have the same impact. By having so many people contribute to the solution, we’ve started a community that can be a real force for good. I, of all people, know how important that can be.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, there was a time in my life when my family was homeless. I have an amazing mother,” Misha carefully explained, “But when I was growing up she didn’t always have a tremendous amount of material resources at her disposal. We were on welfare and very poor for some time and we were homeless for a while.”

Jensen froze. How could that be possible? Was Misha making this up for some dramatic effect?

No, that couldn’t be. This was a video interview. It was not some magazine article that had been edited or printed out of context. Jensen was seeing Misha’s facial expressions, and his body language, telling him the other man was being completely serious. Jensen had known Misha long enough to recognize the mischievous look he got when he was joking around, and this was not a joke.

Misha was still talking, and Jensen focused on what he was saying, trying to get the thoughts in his head to stop buzzing around so he could concentrate.

“A woman once gave my mother $100 when I was six so that she could buy me and my brother Christmas presents. I didn’t even know who she was, it was just this one generous act that made a huge difference in our lives. That’s a true gift. I wanted to show people that even small acts of kindness can have a big ripple effect.”

The interviewer seemed a bit flabbergasted at Misha’s frank answers, and the content of them. Jensen could hear some of the crew members around him whispering to each other. No one had known this was Misha’s background. Everyone was stunned.

Jensen could relate. If Misha were here with him now and said those things, Jensen would have no idea how to react. Misha was always such a positive person, smiling and joking with the crew on set. When the cast and writers would get together for dinners, Misha was the one getting others to relax, and making sure everyone had a good time. Jensen could easily remember several moments in the past year of filming that Misha had said or done something to make Jensen burst out into gut-busting laughter. And he had no idea any of these personal issues had been behind those brilliant blue eyes.

 

~*~

The words from Misha’s interview kept rolling around in Jensen’s head all night long. He was able to get through the rest of his scenes without any trouble, because he was a professional. But whenever he had a free moment his brain kept replaying those moments on a loop.

When he got back to his trailer that evening, Jensen pulled out his laptop and found the interview online. He thought the second time seeing it would be less of a shock, but he was wrong. This time, being alone, it felt more intimate. 

When Misha admitted to being homeless for part of his life, Jensen couldn’t help but picture a skinny, dark-haired boy, sleeping on a sidewalk somewhere. Jensen imagined the boy covered in newspapers and shivering in the cold. Jensen could see his slim face, with a smudge of dirt across one cheek, but still with a smile for everyone he met. That would be Misha. Even when he was hurting, he would be the one to spread joy and have a positive outlook on life. 

Jensen felt a small lump form in his throat, and he willed the tears stinging his eyes not to fall.

~*~

It was another two days before Misha was back on set. Castiel had been missing in some of the recent episodes. Jensen missed having him around, as Castiel brought more variety to the show. Jensen also missed Misha as a friend, and he was feeling a little anxious to see him again.

As soon as he wrapped for the day, Jensen made a break for Misha’s trailer. He stretched out his bowlegs in long strides to get there quickly. He knocked twice, and opened as soon as he heard “Come in!” from Misha.

Misha was reclining on the couch, still in his Castiel wardrobe. He was looking over some script pages. He looked up at Jensen, a pen dangling from his mouth, which he tried to smile around when he saw who was at his door.

Jensen felt his stomach do a somersault with those eyes directed at him. Had it really only been a few days since they saw each other last? It felt like longer for some reason.

“Jensen, what’s up?” Misha asked, removing the pen and moving over to make room on the couch.

“I have something for you.”

“Came to pay up on the bet? And I didn’t even have to track you down? What a noble gentleman. Although, I believe the bet was that you would kiss me in front of the crew so-”

Jensen knew Misha could ramble, so he stopped him by reaching into his pocket and pulling out a piece of paper. He unfolded it right in front of Misha’s eyes, so he couldn’t miss it.

“...what? Jensen what is this?”

“It’s a check for $10,000.00 from my personal account, made out to Random Acts. I want to help you do some good in the world.”

Misha plucked the check out of Jensen’s grasp, but his hands were lightly shaking. Jensen also noted Misha was struck silent, which did not happen very often. Jensen took that as his cue to continue. He sat next to Misha on the couch.

“The last few days, I’ve been thinking about that interview. Trying to imagine what it must have been like for you and your brother. How you went from that, to where you are now. So many people would have stumbled like that, and never gotten back up. But you didn’t. You’re one of the strongest people I know Misha.”

Jensen punctuated his words by resting a hand on Misha’s knee. Misha didn’t say anything in return. He gazed at Jensen’s hand, resting on his leg, but didn’t move or try to slip away. They sat in silence for a few moments before Misha reached over to cover Jensen’s hand with his own.

“Misha, you didn’t have to share all of that with the world, but you did. It must have been hard. If I had known what I was asking of you, I wouldn’t have made that bet.”

“It’s not your fault,” Misha said, voice steady but soft, “I gave what I was comfortable sharing. It’s my past, and I try not to be ashamed of it.”

“Then why didn’t you tell me any of that stuff before? About your childhood?”

“It’s not exactly an ice breaker. I only just got to know you guys – really know you guys – in the past few months. Now that it feels like I’m actually sticking around, I don’t mind opening up to you.”

Jensen nodded. He could understand not wanting to air all your dirty laundry to strangers. Jared knows every facet of Jensen’s life, but it took a season or two for them to start living out of each other’s pockets. And this is someone new joining their group. Misha must have felt like such an outsider last season. Like the new kid trying to join the cool kids table at school – which only made Jensen feel more like a heel given what Misha had gone through as a kid.

“Mish – I am so sorry any of that happened to you.”

Misha gave him a sincere smile. “I’m not. Because the sum total of everything that has happened to me, led me here to you.”

Misha’s words sounded so cliche - like a line from a rom-com script. But the earnestness in Misha’s eyes was so genuine it took Jensen’s breath away. Jensen noted that Misha had said “to you” and not “to the show” or “to this place in my life”, which made his heart pound against the inside of his chest.

Jensen was feeling very lightheaded. It was as though they were standing on a raft in the middle of a lake. Jensen wondered how far he could push before they tipped over.

“You know,” Jensen said, softly clearing his throat, “The bet was that I would have to kiss you if you were completely honest in that interview.”

“That was the bet,” Misha agreed, not letting Jensen out of his intense gaze.

“Well, in the beginning of the interview you mentioned that your favorite coffee is soy latte. But I know that’s a lie. You don’t even like coffee that much. You’d rather have tea.”

Misha smiled at him. “You’re absolutely right. I was not one hundred percent honest in that interview. The bet is null. Void. Kaput. You do not have to kiss me.”

Jensen leaned into Misha’s space, hovering just inside his personal bubble.

“That’s right. I don’t have to.”

Jensen cupped Misha’s face and leaned in the rest of the way, bringing their lips together. It was just a press of lips against lips, Jensen keeping it light in case Misha wanted an out. Then Misha moaned softly in the back of his throat and slid his hands around Jensen’s waist.

Well then.

By mutual agreement, they both angled their heads and deepened the kiss. Jensen massaged Misha’s lips with his own, sucking the plump bottom lip gently between his teeth. Misha was kissing him back, and the lightheaded buzz in Jensen’s head was now a full-blown hurricane. He could feel Misha’s fingers pressing into his hipbones. He chased the taste of Misha across his tongue. Misha was everywhere, all at once, but Jensen still couldn’t get enough.

Jensen and Misha kissed for several long moments - minutes, hours, it was hard to tell. Jensen was enjoying all the new sensations, learning what the roof of Misha’s mouth felt like and how he hummed when Jensen’s nails scraped over the back of his neck.

Much as he didn’t want to, Jensen pulled back to catch his breath. He rested his forehead against Misha’s, not wanting to pull away too far.

“That was nice,” Jensen commented, trying to sound relaxed, hoping Misha couldn’t hear how loudly his heart was beating.

“Not that I’m complaining, but I lost the bet. You said so yourself. You didn’t have to kiss me.”

Misha looked into Jensen’s eyes, searching for truth. Honesty had gotten them this far, and Jensen knew he did not want to turn back now. He told Misha the truth he had been carrying in his heart for a long time.

“I know I didn’t have to kiss you. I wanted to.”

Jensen leaned in for another kiss, trying to keep it light. He could spend all evening kissing Misha, but he had other plans. Jensen pulled away, thumbs caressing Misha’s cheekbones.

“Why don’t you go turn in your wardrobe and meet me back here in fifteen minutes? I’m taking you out to dinner. Anywhere you want to go. I want to get to know this Misha Collins guy a little better, now that he’s a series regular and all.”

Jensen smiled at Misha, aware that his cheeks were probably going to hurt tomorrow because he could not stop grinning. Jensen felt overjoyed; glad that Misha felt comfortable to share his life with him, excited that he wanted to kiss him back, and grateful beyond measure that this man was in his life in the first place.

Yes, they could stay here and kiss all evening, but Jensen wanted to take this slow. Now that he knew being with Misha was something he could have, Jensen wanted to do this right.

Misha turned at the door, giving Jensen a devious smile.

“You’re still kissing me in front of the crew, you know.”

Kissing Misha in front of the crew would be like telling their whole family they were dating. It would show Misha that he was serious, and that he wasn’t embarrassed to be with him. The answer was simple.

“Deal.”

**Author's Note:**

> I used these two interviews as references for Misha's in-fic interview: [(x)](http://tvoftheabsurd.com/2010/09/02/supernaturals-misha-collins-kindness-is-infectious/) & [(x)](http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/tech/columnist/talkingyourtech/story/2012-05-13/actor-misha-collins-twitter/54943798/1) (yay research!)
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> Come say hello on my [Tumblr](http://deanandishareamoreprofoundbond.tumblr.com/)!


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